FLOWERPOTS and smiling faces are the first thing you notice at HMP and YOI Castington, once you’ve passed the barbed wire fences.

Secluded in the Northumberland countryside, the huge complex can at first appear foreboding.

A featureless fortress surrounded by fields, this is a place that holds some of Britain’s most dangerous juveniles and young adults.

Teenage killers, gun criminals and gang members sleep, eat and chat within its walls.

Some would argue such criminals deserve at the very least to be kept safe, well-fed and clean.

As prison governor Alex Tait says: “It is taking away their freedom that is the real punishment.”

So when the leading prison charity the Howard League for Penal Reform this week brought out a report blasting conditions at the jail as reminiscent of “modern day dungeons”, many were justifiably concerned.

The report found some seven inmates had suffered fractured wrists at the hands of staff, showers were allegedly only available twice each week and the standard of cells was criticised.

But, when the Chronicle was invited to Castington to see the place for ourselves, what we found was a far cry from the sort of horrific images conjured up by jail movies Scum or Sleepers.

The showers work, the wings are clean and the prison officers are firm but go about their work with a smile.

A gym, a full-sized outdoor football pitch, a garage to learn about car maintenance complete with shiny new cars courtesy of Nissan, and even an aviary are present, creating a surprisingly comfortable atmosphere.

Yes, there are Playstations in some of the cells, but these must be earned and are given only to prisoners whose behaviour is consistently satisfactory.

The cells are basic and perhaps a little claustrophobic but, as Mr Tait reminds us, this is a jail after all.

And one thing that becomes especially apparent is, whatever you make of the place, the staff take pride in their work and want to make a difference. Mr Tait said: “If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t do it.

“I still get cards from people who were here years ago. They remember us. We quite often make a huge difference to people’s lives.

“This is a very different place to an adult prison. They are kids and young people and we have a chance to help them.

“’I’ve been in the job nearly 40 years and I’ve seen the other side of how jails used to work, in the days of slopping out.

“That doesn’t work. It’s not just a case of locking them up and throwing away the key.

“The idea that we have dungeons here is absolute balderdash.”

Mr Tait confirms for us that the Howard League charity didn’t even visit the jail before including it in their damning report into juvenile prisons.

So much is his concern, he would like to invite them to visit the place and reconsider their opinions.

Life for prisoners here is tough and without many of the pleasures we take for granted.

But basic needs are catered for to a more than satisfactory level.

And what do the inmates themselves think? One tells us: “It’s the best jail I’ve ever been to.”